November 6, 2008

Dot Hill Reports Third Quarter 2008 Results

Company achieves record revenue figures for the quarter and narrows loss

CARLSBAD, Calif., Nov 06, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Dot Hill Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: HILL) today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2008. Net revenue was $76.6 million (a record for the company's quarterly net revenue), compared to $45.7 million for the third quarter of 2007, and $71.0 million for the second quarter of 2008. Included in the third quarter 2008 revenue figures is an accrued payment of $1.7 million from one of the company's large OEM customers in consideration of Dot Hill price reductions.

Net revenue for the third quarter of 2008 was within the guidance range of $73 to $78 million that the company provided on August 8, 2008.

For the third quarter of 2008, net loss was $3.7 million, or $0.08 per fully diluted share and included a one-time legal settlement of $0.5 million of which approximately $0.3 million was included in cost of goods and $0.2 million was included in operating expenses. Also included in the net loss was a $1.7 million accrued payment from one of the company's large OEM customers in consideration for price reductions. The company had anticipated receiving this payment when it established guidance on August 8, 2008. This compares to a net loss of $4.1 million for the third quarter of 2007, or $0.09 per fully diluted share, and a second quarter 2008 net loss of $7.4 million, or $0.16 per fully diluted share.

On a non-GAAP basis, after excluding share-based compensation expense, severance costs and foreign currency adjustments, net loss for the third quarter of 2008 was $3.1 million, or $0.07 per share on a fully diluted basis and was within the $0.06 to $0.10 range that the company set on August 8, 2008.

Gross margin percentage for the third quarter of 2008 was 11.7 percent as compared to third quarter 2007 gross margin of 14.3 percent and second quarter 2008 gross margin of 10.2 percent. The gross margin percentage for third quarter of 2008 includes a $0.3 million legal settlement benefit and $1.7 million accrued payment from one of the company's large OEM customers. The company attributes the decrease in gross margin percentage on a year-over-year basis primarily to a change in product and customer sales mix, as the company's higher margin net revenue from Sun Microsystems has declined over the past year, while shipments of the company's lower margin products to NetApp, Hewlett-Packard and other customers have increased. On a sequential basis, gross margin percentage increased despite the decline in net revenue from Sun Microsystems, primarily due to material cost reductions that the company realized during the quarter.

"We are pleased that we were able to meet our projections for the third quarter of 2008," said Dana Kammersgard, president and chief executive officer, Dot Hill. "Despite challenging market conditions, we were able to achieve record net revenue which was an improvement of 8 percent sequentially and 68 percent year-over-year. Our focus has shifted from one of revenue diversification and top line growth to continued margin improvement and the attainment of sustainable profitability. We remain intensely focused in these areas and remain confident that we will return to profitability in the near term."

Dot Hill exited the third quarter of 2008 with cash and cash equivalents of $56.5 million and a $0.9 million note payable associated with the purchase of intellectual property assets from Ciprico, Inc. This compares to the second quarter 2008 balance of cash and cash equivalents of $62.1 million, with no outstanding debt. The sequential decrease in cash and cash equivalents was due primarily to operating losses, increased working capital requirements associated with the ramp in the company's business and a one-time cash payment of $2.25 million associated with the purchase of intellectual property assets from Ciprico, Inc.

"I am pleased with the fact that we managed to lower overall inventory levels by almost $1 million quarter over quarter, despite a significant revenue ramp in our business," said Hanif Jamal, senior vice president and chief financial officer at Dot Hill. "This was due in part to $3.3 million of higher than expected end of quarter inventory pulls from two of our larger OEM customers."

The company is targeting fourth quarter 2008 net revenue in the range of $70 to $76 million and a net loss per fully diluted share in the range of $0.05 to $0.10 on a non-GAAP basis, which excludes share-based compensation expense, severance and restructuring charges and currency gains and losses. The company believes that the higher than expected end of quarter inventory pulls from two of its larger OEM customers could impact revenues for the fourth quarter of 2008 and has been contemplated in the established guidance.

Dot Hill's third quarter 2008 financial results conference call is scheduled to take place on November 6, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. ET. Please join us for a live audio webcast at http://www.dothill.com in the Investor Relations section. If you prefer to join via telephone, please dial 888-204-4317 (U.S.) or 913-312-1269 (International) at least five minutes prior to the start of the call. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Dot Hill web site following the conference call. For a telephone replay, dial 888-203-1112 (U.S.) or 719-457-0820 (International) and enter passcode 4807034.

About Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains financial results that exclude the effects of stock-based compensation expense, severance costs, one-time legal settlement benefits and foreign currency adjustments and are not in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information to both management and investors that are indicative of the company's core operating results and facilitates comparison of operating results across reporting periods. The company used these non-GAAP measures when evaluating its financial results as well as for internal resource management, planning and forecasting purposes. These non-GAAP measures should not be viewed in isolation from or as a substitute for the company's expected financial results in accordance with GAAP.

About Dot Hill

Delivering innovative technology and global support, Dot Hill empowers the OEM community to bring unique storage solutions to market, quickly, easily and cost-effectively. Offering high performance and industry-leading uptime, Dot Hill's RAID technology is the foundation for best-in-class storage solutions offering enterprise-class security, availability and data protection. The company's products are in use today by the world's leading service and equipment providers, common carriers, advanced technology and telecommunications companies as well as government agencies. Dot Hill solutions are certified to meet rigorous industry standards and military specifications, as well as RoHS and WEEE international environmental standards. Headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., Dot Hill has offices and/or representatives in China, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information, visit us at http://www.dothill.com.

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include statements regarding: Dot Hill's projected financial results for the fourth quarter of 2008; Dot Hill's ability to achieve profitability; continued diversification of Dot Hill's revenue stream; and continued margin improvement. The risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include, among other things: the risk that actual financial results for the fourth quarter of 2008 may be different from the financial guidance provided in this press release; the fact that no Dot Hill customer agreements provide for mandatory minimum purchase requirements; the risk that one or more of Dot Hill's OEM or other customers may cancel or reduce orders, not order as forecasted or terminate their agreements with Dot Hill; the risk that Dot Hill's new products may not prove to be popular; the risk that one or more of Dot Hill's suppliers or subcontractors may fail to perform or may terminate their agreements with Dot Hill; unforeseen technological, intellectual property, personnel or engineering issues; and the additional risks set forth in the form 10-K and subsequent reports most recently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Dot Hill. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Dot Hill undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.



                   DOT HILL SYSTEMS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
          UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                            AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
                   (In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)


                                    Three Months Ended     Nine Months Ended
                                       September 30,         September 30,
                                      2007      2008       2007         2008
    NET REVENUE                     $45,691   $76,641   $155,331     $200,494
    COST OF GOODS SOLD               39,166    67,700    135,208      180,165
    GROSS PROFIT                      6,525     8,941     20,123       20,329
    OPERATING EXPENSES:
    Sales and marketing               3,677     2,990     11,456       10,909
    Research and development          5,746     6,940     16,617       21,489
    General and administrative        2,424     3,309      9,416       10,291
    Legal settlement                      -      (200)         -       (4,036)
      Total operating expenses       11,847    13,039     37,489       38,653
    OPERATING LOSS                   (5,322)   (4,098)   (17,366)     (18,324)
    OTHER INCOME:
    Interest income, net              1,255       309      3,794        1,374
    Other (expense) income, net           -       (19)         -           61
    TOTAL OTHER INCOME, NET           1,255       290      3,794        1,435
    LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES         (4,067)   (3,808)   (13,572)     (16,889)
    INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT)         56      (117)       255          281
    NET LOSS                        $(4,123)  $(3,691)  $(13,827)    $(17,170)
    NET LOSS PER SHARE:
      Basic and diluted              $(0.09)   $(0.08)    $(0.30)      $(0.37)
    WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES USED
    TO CALCULATE NET LOSS PER SHARE:
      Basic and diluted              45,717    46,223     45,451       46,078
    COMPREHENSIVE LOSS:
    Net loss                        $(4,123)  $(3,691)  $(13,827)    $(17,170)
    Foreign currency translation
     adjustments                     (1,251)      (27)    (1,692)        (128)
    Net unrealized gain on
     short-term investments              (2)        -         (2)           -
      Comprehensive loss            $(5,376)  $(3,718)  $(15,521)    $(17,298)



                   DOT HILL SYSTEMS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
               UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                   (In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)

                                                   December 31,  September 30,
                                                        2007            2008
                                      ASSETS
    Current Assets:
      Cash and cash equivalents                         $82,358       $56,524
      Accounts receivable, net of allowance
       of $302 and $312                                  32,445        48,213
      Inventories                                         9,013        12,613
      Prepaid expenses and other                          3,968         3,938

        Total current assets                            127,784       121,288
    Property and equipment, net                           9,599         7,352
    Intangible assets, net                                2,280         5,607
    Other assets                                            264           338

        Total assets                                   $139,927      $134,585


                  LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

    Current Liabilities:
      Accounts payable                                  $28,472       $34,944
      Accrued compensation                                3,115         3,564
      Accrued expenses                                    6,227         4,055
      Deferred revenue                                    1,409         1,168
      Short term note payable                                 -           248
      Income taxes payable                                  143           348

        Total current liabilities                        39,366        44,327
      Long term note payable                                  -           670
      Other long-term liabilities                         4,132         4,755

        Total liabilities                                43,498        49,752

    Commitments and Contingencies
    Stockholders' Equity:
      Preferred stock, $.001 par value, 10,000 shares
       authorized, no shares issued and outstanding at
       December 31, 2007 and September 30, 2008,
       respectively                                           -             -
      Common stock, $.001 par value, 100,000 shares
       authorized, 45,781 and 46,308 shares issued and
       outstanding at December 31, 2007 and September
       30, 2008, respectively                                46            46
      Additional paid-in capital                        294,193       299,895
      Accumulated other comprehensive loss               (3,100)       (3,228)
      Accumulated deficit                              (194,710)     (211,880)

        Total stockholders' equity                       96,429        84,833

        Total liabilities and stockholders' equity     $139,927      $134,585



                   DOT HILL SYSTEMS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
          UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                                (In Thousands)

                               Three Months Ended       Nine Months Ended
                                 September 30,            September 30,
                                2007         2008        2007        2008
    Cash Flows From Operating
     Activities:
    Net loss                 $(4,123)     $(3,691)    $(13,827)    $(17,170)
    Adjustments to reconcile
     net loss to net cash
     provided by (used in)
     operating activities:
      Depreciation and
       amortization            1,609        1,394        5,031        4,385
      Loss on disposal of
       property and equipment     47            -          213           57
      Reduction in bad debt
       reserve                    (4)         (33)         (45)        (153)
      Issuance of warrant to
       customer                    -            -            -        2,282
      Share-based compensation
       expense                   670          661        1,647        2,224
    Changes in operating assets
     and liabilities:
      Accounts receivable      8,718       (1,715)      10,887      (15,566)
      Inventories             (1,820)         969       (2,646)      (3,578)
      Prepaid expenses and
       other assets             (393)         489          332          (42)
      Accounts payable        (5,252)        (660)      (9,076)       6,710
      Accrued compensation
       and expenses              361         (594)      (2,644)      (2,042)
      Deferred revenue           775          (23)       2,569         (251)
      Income taxes payable       (4)         (139)          11          205
      Other long-term
       liabilities            2,402           367          551         (147)
    Net cash provided by
     (used in) operating
     activities               2,986        (2,975)      (6,997)     (23,086)
    Cash Flows From Investing
     Activities:
      Purchases of property
       and equipment         (1,862)         (638)      (3,776)      (1,503)
      Purchase of intangible
       assets                     -        (2,482)           -       (2,482)
      Purchase of short-term
       investments           (5,425)            -       (5,425)           -
    Net cash used in
     investing activities    (7,287)       (3,120)      (9,201)      (3,985)
    Cash Flows From Financing
     Activities:
      Proceeds from sale of
       stock to employees       459           447          967          912
      Proceeds from exercise
       of stock options and
       warrants                  29            86          163          284
    Net cash provided by
     financing activities       488           533        1,130        1,196
    Effect of Exchange Rate
     Changes on Cash            154             4          143           41
    Net Decrease in Cash and
     Cash Equivalents        (3,659)       (5,558)     (14,925)     (25,834)
    Cash and Cash Equivalents,
     beginning of period     88,397        62,082       99,663       82,358
    Cash and Cash Equivalents,
     end of period          $84,738       $56,524      $84,738      $56,524

    Supplemental Disclosures
     of Cash Flow Information:
      Cash paid for interest     $-            $-           $-           $-
      Cash paid for income
       taxes                    $45           $22         $217          $78

    Supplemental Disclosures of
     Non-Cash Investing and
     Financing Activities:
      Construction in progress
       costs incurred but not
       paid                    $414          $261         $768         $108
      Promissory note for
       intangible assets
       purchase                  $-          $918           $-         $918
      Contingent payment for
       intangible assets
       purchase                  $-        $1,070           $-       $1,070



                   DOT HILL SYSTEMS CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
             UNAUDITED RECONCILIATION TABLE OF NON-GAAP MEASURES
                   (In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)

                               Three Months Ended       Nine Months Ended
                                 September 30,            September 30,
                                2007         2008        2007        2008
    Net loss                 $(4,123)     $(3,691)    $(13,827)    $(17,170)
    Effect of currency gain   (1,318)        (141)      (1,575)        (185)
    Effect of share-based
     compensation                670          660        1,648        2,223
    Effect of issuance of
     warrant to customer           -            -            -        2,282
    Effect of legal settlement     -            -            -       (3,836)
    Effect of severance costs     49           24          107          533

    Net loss as adjusted     $(4,722)     $(3,148)    $(13,647)    $(16,153)

    Net loss per share:
      Basic and diluted       $(0.10)      $(0.07)      $(0.30)      $(0.35)
    Weighted average shares
     used to calculate net
     loss per share:
      Basic and diluted       45,717       46,223       45,451       46,078


    Net revenue              $45,691      $76,641     $155,331     $200,494
    Effect of issuance of
     warrant to customer           -            -            -        2,282

    Net revenue as adjusted  $45,691      $76,641     $155,331     $202,776


    Gross profit              $6,525       $8,941      $20,123      $20,329
    Effect of issuance of
      warrant to customer          -            -            -        2,282
    Effect of share-based
     compensation                 83          100          242          296
    Effect of severance costs     19           22           19          183

    Gross profit as adjusted  $6,627       $9,063      $20,384      $23,090

SOURCE Dot Hill Systems Corp.

http://www.dothill.com

Copyright (C) 2008 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

News Provided by COMTEX


Close window | Back to top

Copyright 2013 Dot Hill Systems Corp.